In March of this year, amid chaos caused by inconsistent and vague stay-at-home orders in response to Covid-19, sweeping restaurant closures threatened destruction across the food industry.

Since those first moments, the Covid era for this business has been defined by a lack of leadership, resources and recognition from the government. But in America, our food system has long been a house of cards—the pandemic just happened to be the tornado to take it down.

Life & Thyme immediately set to work documenting the unprecedented events unfolding daily. Boiling Point chronicles this catastrophic moment through those frontline food workers, while exploring the deep cracks in the system that led to this crisis.

By following proprietors Tyler and Ashley Wells of All Time in Los Angeles, Executive Chef Suzanne Cupps of 232 Bleecker in New York’s West Village, Jennifer Reichardt of Liberty Duck Farms in Sonoma, California, and the humanitarian efforts of No Us Without You in Los Angeles, we get a boots on the ground perspective, while longtime industry leaders like Dominique Crenn, Curtis Stone, Edward Lee, Aarón Sánchez and others provide critical context for how we arrived in this moment, and what’s really at stake. 

Today, uncertainty persists. Resolutions still feel far in the future. But through these stories, we see this time as an opportunity, too. To understand the value and spirit of this industry, demonstrate to the public and the powers that be what this business means to the American economy, its culture, and the fabric of our communities. And why it’s crucial that we fight to save our restaurants.

How you can help:

• Visit SaveRestaurants.com to learn more on how you can help independent restaurants survive during this turbulent time.
• Support back of the house workers in Los Angeles by making a donation to No Us Without You.
• Share this video on your social media channels and with your friends.

Boiling Point was made possible through the partnership and collaboration of Makeready, Christopher Storer, and Super Frog Films.